Exiguobacterium degradation of polystyrene Enlisting bacteria in the war against plastic

Abstract

Polystyrene is a chemically stable recalcitrant plastic that pollutes many natural environments. Unfortunately, few mechanisms can break down this man-made polymer into its naturally occurring components. Research into the polystyrene-digesting capabilities of the bacteria genus Exiguobacterium sp RIT 594 by Dr André Hudson and his team at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, USA, has uncovered the specific ring-cleaving mechanism which the bacterium uses to degrade the plastic. Bioinformatics, anaerobic culture analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy provided evidence of aromatic ring attack as the primary mechanism by which Exiguobacterium sp RIT 594 breaks down polystyrene. for their ability to degrade polystyrene in natural ecosystems. Studying the biochemical pathways that allow Exiguobacterium to do this will help researchers understand the mechanisms behind plastic degradation and apply them to new technologies aimed at degrading plastic.